A recent Autumn trip through the Connecticut Wine Trail for a destination Bachelorette Celebration has whet my appetite for a long-overdue trip to the Napa Valley Wine Country.  And with this wonderful harvest season comes a perfect excuse to relax in a most extraordinary sanctuary called The Poetry Inn.

With staggering views of the Napa Valley, you'll find The Poetry Inn perched atop a hillside in the Stags Leap District. Here, you can live the life of a vintner while enjoying a message in the open air, sipping sparkling wine on a private terrace, or just lounging around the pool.

Winner of frequent accolades and awards from distinguished sources as Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report and Architectural Digest, The Poetry Inn is featured in this month's Robb Report as "One of the World's Best Wine-Country Escapes."  Noted for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc, the Inn will arrange private dinners hosted by prominent chefs and features an "Ultimate Birthday Bash" for you and nine of your best friends.

Designed with an elegant, intimate touch, each room boasts the following:

• King Beds draped with feather duvets and luxury Italian linens
• Plush Italian towels and robes
• Large private balconies
• Sanctuary-like marble bathrooms with dual vanities, a large soaking tub, both an indoor and outdoor shower with rain shower heads
• Wood-burning fireplaces
• Large, flat-screen Sony Wega TVs
• Well-stocked mini-bars
• Original works of art that celebrate the pastoral
• Fresh flowers or orchids
• Twice-daily housekeeping service

Simply Juicy Travel offers you the following exclusive, complimentary amenities, in conjunction with Virtuoso:

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• Daily in-room or Terrace breakfast service for up to two people
• Complimentary vineyard/winery tour with sit-down tasting in VIP room at Cliff Lede Vineyards
• 12 Noon early check-in, subject to availability
• 4PM late check-out, subject to availability

Contact Simply Juicy Travel for further information.

In an effort to improve
customer service at JFK International Airport in NYC,
Delta Airlines now requires baggage be checked a minimum of 45 minutes before departure time on DOMESTIC flights. The change, effective October 15, also applies to customers flying Delta Connections well as code share flights operated by the airline.

Gone are the days when you can arrive at the airport with 15 minutes to spare and still make your flight. Despite the fact that schedule delays have hit an all-time high, your chances of getting bumped have increased. Overbooking is now commonplace and your best protection is to arrive early.

Customers who miss the 45-minute window, will be notified during check-in. Similar policies are already in place at airports in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando and Denver. Delta's International flights still require a minimum 1 hour advance check-in.

It's important to check with your carrier, as policies change frequently. Click here for FAA's site list of U.S. airline websites or contact Simply Juicy Travel for further information.

Best Regards,

Eileen
Simply Juicy Travel, New York

1-888-26JUICY

Dear Simply Juicy Travelers,

Do you love jazz? How about lounging around the deep, blue Caribbean? Did I mention an award-winning spa or 18-hole Greg Norman Golf Course? Need I continue? 

For a limited time, The CuisinArt Resort and Spa is offering a four-night experience with exclusive Virtuoso amenities, scheduled to coincide with the opening of The Anguilla Tranquility Jazz Festival. Why not take this opportunity to to indulge in that long overdue girlfriend getaway or relaxing romantic retreat?

Discover a world of luxury, while enjoying the splendid tropical gardens, new Wine Cellar and private Chef's Table, PLUS the mellow rhythms of jazz in the serene, yet sophisticated ambiance of Anguilla. Package prices are based on five days/four nights (from November 7-11), double occupancy, starting at $2,545 pp for a Junior Suite (land only).  Also includes the following amenities:

• Anguilla airport or ferry greeting
• Caribbean welcome drink upon arrival
• Daily continental breakfast in restaurant or room service
• Special dinner and concert tickets (featuring Diane Schuur) for two on Thursday, November 8, 2007
• Dinner for two featuring Chef's Tasting Menu at Santorini Restaurant
• Two 50 Minute Spa Treatments
• Additional Virtuoso Amenity: Choice of (1) massage per room per stay, either an Exotic Essence Massage OR a Caribbean Sea Stone Massage OR an Anguillan Coconut Pineapple Scrub
• Non-motorized watersports
• Use of tennis courts, fitness center, yoga pavilion, croquet field, par fitness course, bocce court and children's play area

Contact Simply Juicy Travel for more information.

Best Regards,

From Simply Juicy Travel in New York
Eileen

Dear Simply Juicy Travelers,

For weeks now, my clients and friends have been asking me to post some girlfriend getaways and   mother-daughter travel destinations. As a Virtuoso affiliate, I received some exclusive, exciting travel packages for properties that were recently added to their luxury portfolio, giving me the perfect springboard to highlight these outstanding additions.

First up is one of my domestic favorites, located half-way between Santa Fe and Albuquerque,  on the sacred lands of the Santa Ana Pueblo. The Hyatt RegencyTamaya Resort and  Spa is set against the stunning Sandia Mountains and offers everything one could want including an award-winning spa, championship golf, hot-air balloon rides, horseback-riding and three fabulous  restaurants. And that's just the beginning...

In addition you can choose from unique cultural activities such as pueblo bread baking, flute playing, tribal dances, and family programs that reflect the rich history of the Tamayame:

• Native American pottery-making classes
• horseback-riding through the resort's pueblo backcountry to view Petroglyphs and ruins that date back approximately 1,000 years
• nature hikes through the Cottonwood Forest, with stories of the pueblo and its people
• adobe brick-making with clay and straw
• Native American stories under the stars (with S'mores)

Enjoy our exclusive Virtuoso Spa Journey Package (available until November 15) including treatments inspired by the land and its people.

• Two-night room accommodations
• Choice of one 5-hour Spa Journey Treatment per person on package
• Daily Breakfast for two
• Lunch for two, once during stay
• One signature spa amenity basket pp on package:includes robe and spa products
• Room upgrade, upon check-in, subject to availability
• Personalized welcome card from yours truly

    Prices begin at $985.00 pp

If uber-pampering isn't for you, Simply Juicy Travel can offer you a resort discount of 15% with the following exclusive amenities:

• Upgrade upon arrival, subject to availability
• Full American breakfast for two daily in Atosh Grill
• Complimentary luncheon for two once during stay (excluding beverages,taxes & gratuities)
• Guaranteed 4 PM late check-out
• 12 Noon early check-in, subject to availability

Whether you're looking for a restful escape or a wonderful family adventure, contact Simply Juicy Travel for more details.

To check out the girlfriend getaway my friend Christine and I took to New Mexico this past spring, click on Part I and Part II. I have to tell you that it was one of the best trips I've ever taken.

Check-in on Thursday for another destination selection...I think I have some catching up to do!

Best Regards,

Eileen

Dear Simply Juicy Travelers,

I am really sad. Summer is over and I feel like I've missed "the boat". My favorite season has passed me by, because I neglected to follow my own cardinal rule...scheduling vacation time for myself.

Although many of my friends and clients love winter and the activities the season presents, I regretfully do not.  Living in the northeast, it seems like I spend the first three months of each year hibernating from the cold (could it be that seasonal affective disorder I keep hearing about?).  Over the years, I've learned to cope by planning a few strategically-timed getaways intended to refresh my psyche and give me something to look forward to.

Because fall in the Northeast presents such a wonderful opportunity to enjoy a destination drive, I'm planning a family road-trip.  With a kaleidescope of fall foliage as a backdrop, I'll relish the ride to Boston, one of my favorite historic cities. A weekend at the Boston Harbor Hotel may be just what the doctor ordered!

Awarded Gold List status as one of the "World's Best Places to Stay" by Conde Nast Traveler, the Boston Harbor Hotel offers the finest luxury accommodations on the waterfront. Just two blocks from the New England Aquarium and the Boston Tea Ship Museum, three blocks from the Faneuil Marketplace and the historic Freedom Trail, this Boston hotel is the ideal setting to explore all the city has to offer.

Visitors who book through Simply Juicy Travel have access to the following exclusive Virtuoso amenities:

• special rates
  
• upgrade at time of booking (subject to availability)
• complimentary full American breakfast for two daily
• $50.00 hotel credit (once for stay for use on Food & Beverage, Spa Services, or parking)
• chef's seasonal creation in room upon arrival
• 4PM late check-out (subject to availability)

And by the way, the Boston Harbor Hotel is "pet friendly" , has a wonderful spa and is a great location for a girlfriend getaway, romantic weekend or home base to catch the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park! While you're there, check out the Beantown Jazz Festival, The Boston Symphony Orchestra or the New England Patriots.

So whether you go for a week, a long weekend or a day trip...make sure that you take the time to enjoy the fall scenery. Learn from my experience this summer...don't allow another season pass by without enjoying it in its full glory.

Contact Simply Juicy Travel for assistance in planning your family holiday, girlfriend getaway and all your travel needs.Do you have a trip scheduled for the next few months? Send us your ideas and we can post them on our site.

Best Regards,
Eileen
Simply Juicy Travel

p.s. If you'd like to see more on Faneuil Park, check out the video below.

Dear Simply Juicy Traveler,

Although I really HATE the word "mancation",  I understand the premise that guys need their down time too. After all, if you believe in "Diva time" (and I do), why shouldn't men be able to enjoy their favorite activities with their friends as well?   

The award-winning Inn at Perry Cabin, on Maryland's eastern shore, gives them the opportunity to do just that. They are currently offering a package called the "Ultimate 8-Pack", so your guy, and 7 of his best buddies, can indulge in some quality "man time" at this luxurious manor house resort. (I enjoyed some wonderful mother-daughter time there this past spring, with my 16 year-old!)

The four-day package begins with a private fishing excursion followed by a signature dinner prepared from their catch by Chef Michael Salter, award winning Executive chef of Sherwoods Landing, the only four-diamond, four-star restaurant in the state! The next day includes an excursion to the links for 18-holes of golf, followed by a crab pickin' at a local crab house.

Here's a summary of what's included:

• Individual master suite accommodations for 8 (each room features a separate living room, bedroom, over-sized bathroom and terrace with water views)
• Breakfast each morning
• Dinner with wine parings at Sherwood's Landing
• A private half-day fishing trip with gourmet picnic lunch and microbrewery beer pairing
• A round of golf
• Dinner at the local crab house
• A departure gift of a polo shirt and hat

Priced at $1800.00 pp, for a group of 8 (including all taxes and gratuities).

After all, if it's good enough for the likes of celebs like Paul Newman and Vince Vaughn, it's good enough for your guy!

Contact Simply Juicy Travel to book this package or for further information on other mancations.

Dear Simply Juicy Travelers,

Still yearning to getaway this summer, but didn't have time to book your vacation? Too many hours at work make you ache for a few days off to relax and pamper yourself?  Need some romantic time with your significant other? or an end of summer romp with the kids? If any of those options appeal to you, consider spending your Labor Day Weekend aboard the Queen Mary 2.

Departing New York on August 31, the Queen Mary 2 will spend 4 luxurious days on the eastern coast, sailing to Halifax, Nova Scotia and back.  And for a limited time you can have a balcony stateroom for about the same price as an inside cabin...$799.00 pp (+ tax and port fees).

What better time to sample this luxurious ocean liner, with its exceptional children's program (run by certified British Nanny's) and highly acclaimed Canyon Ranch Spa. Party with your girlfriends, meet some new people, or just chill with that juicy best-seller you've been dying to read.

For a truly memorable weekend...just get yourself to the ship on time.

Contact us for more details on this sailing, or fill out this short form and we'll reserve your cabin on the Queen Mary 2 right away.

Ahoy from New York,

eileen@simplyjuicytravel.com

Dear Simply Juicy Travelers,

Looking for a unique Girlfriend Getaway or a memorable Mother-Daughter experience?  Eager to start your holiday shopping, or just need a mental health break?

How 'bout a little shopping therapy...in PARIS. Yep, that's right. If you're up for some chic retail adventure, grab your favorite gal-pal and spend a few wonderful days in this ultra-chic city.

Now's the time to find those fashionable Parisian bargains. Held only twice yearly, the shops in Paris are holding their best summer sales. But do hurry...the sales only last until August 4.

Sound enticing? Simply Juicy Travel can help you get to there! If you'd like to go to Paris, we have some exclusive specials for accommodations right in the middle of the action. Fill out this short form, and we'll get right back to you.

And if you need more excuses (uhhh...I mean reasons) to convince yourself (or your significant other) that you need some retail therapy, we'll be glad to help you with that as well.

Happy Shopping!

eileen@simplyjuicytravel.com

When I tell people that my travel plans (flight, hotel, etc) are arranged and managed by a travel agent (Eileen, the gal who owns this blog), they usually give me a puzzled look. I can see it in their eyes. They're thinking, "Why? Just go online and use Expedia or Travelocity."

Okay - I can understand that. And, in the past, I would have done/thought the same thing. Arranging travel these days is pretty simple. You log on to the Internet, visit your favorite travel site, and get your e-tickets. You can even do your own hotel.

But, sometimes - that takes an hour or more out of the day. Often, it takes a lot of planning - if you know WHEN you're traveling, you can go in and start monitoring flights two or three months ahead of time. Always trying to get the "best deal." Whatever that is. When all is said and done, you've spent several hours just to save fifty bucks. Even a hundred bucks isn't worth it, if you've wasted four hours of your time. After all, that four hours might get you a 'better' seat...but, it won't get you re-assigned when mother nature cancels the flight.

All in all, it takes time, energy, and patience. All of which I no longer have. My life is too busy to try and save a few bucks by doing all that work myself. When I met Eileen, I was still in denial and did a few trips on my own - complaining all the while I was trying to find the best flight, the best seats, and the best hotel. It was aggravating, to say the least. AND...I was never sure I actually accomplished my goal - that of saving money. I sure wasted a LOT of time. Which, as we all know, is money.

Recently I found this article online, over at The Honolulu Adviser. Reporter Irene Croft Jr. writes, "...the travel world as clients and agents knew it changed forever in 1994 when the major airlines determined to rearrange their relationship with travel agencies." That's when travel agencies started using fees. Which they had not done before this. It was the invasion of the Internet, of course. And people like me who thought they could and should do the travel arrangements themselves. Maybe you're one of those people?

Anyway, I'm delighted to have Eileen, now. I don't waste time trying to research and visit all the airline sites, the hotels, the fees, etc. I am happy to give Eileen that task... and pay the small fee associated with it. As Irene says in her article, "The question is are you willing to pay a travel agency directly for its expertise, informed recommendations and TLC? Actually, the question should be can you afford not to?" She notes in her article, and I concur, that the fee you're paying covers the TLC you get - in case of an emergency. (clients of travel agencies get first dibs on stuff... while all the 'self-planners' stand in long lines waiting to talk to airline service reps, not the friendlist group on the planet, if you know what I mean.)

Surprisingly, the cost is minimal. Truly. My time is worth far more than the small fee I pay Eileen. And, the peace of mind I have, knowing that if Murphy intervenes and causes a flight issue, a hotel issue, a car issue, I need only dial one number - Eileen's - and I'll be taken care of. I can go have a drink, and the issue will be handled.

Irene said it well in her article, "A top agent is a professional with indispensable knowledge and skills who can help you make savvy decisions and save you time and money in organizing your travel arrangements. You pay a fee for specialized service and advice that is available nowhere else."

  6) Movies Under the Stars - Dress up in your comfiest PJ's out and have some fun at the outdoor movie screenings located at the Boardwalk Cafe.

  7) Inquiring Minds - Cunard has one of the most ambitious programs of its kind, housed in a 20,000 square foot learning complex called Cunard Connections. Choose from a variety of courses ranging from software programs to foreign language, meet and hear fascinating experts in subjects such as history, the arts, science and world affairs. Enjoy cooking classes, Bridge, creative arts and other entertaining activities (including presentations by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.)

  8) The Sky's The Limit - The QM2 is the first ship with its own planetarium. In Illuminations, you can enjoy fascinating presentations, virtual journey's into space and special films created just for her.including some produced by prestigious institutions like the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium and the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.

    9) Dancing Fools - Improve your steps with a salsa or line dancing class in the opulent Queens Room.

  10) Looking for a Quick Getaway?  -  You need to chill but can only spare a long weekend? With you in mind, the QM2 has developed some 4-day itineraries, departing from NYC.

Interested? Contact Simply Juicy Travel for special cruise rates and exclusive ammenities.